One Direction Soars to No. 1 Position on Billboard Albums Chart

One Direction's sophomore album TAKE ME HOME soars to the #1 position on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart with over 540,000 copies sold this week, the third highest debut of the year, making them the first British band to have their freshman and sophomore albums debut at #1 in the US. This is the second time this year One Direction made history as their debut album, UP ALL NIGHT, entered the Billboard Top 200 Album chart at #1, the first for a British band. This amazing U.S. debut comes hot on the heels of One Direction's massive international success where TAKE ME HOME entered the charts at #1 in over 32 countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan,Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Singapore. One Direction's TAKE ME HOME has also shattered the US iTunes pre-order record with over 130,000 albums sold in advance of its release.

TAKE ME HOME includes the history making #1 single "Live While We're Young," which sold over 341k copies in its first week, making it Billboard's biggest opening week sales for a single by a non-US artist ever. It has been an astonishing year for One Direction, they are the top selling debut artist of the year and have taken home 3 MTV Video Music Awards and 3 Teen Choice Awards. Their debut album UP ALL NIGHT has been certified platinum, and their live concert DVD "UP ALL NIGHT: THE LIVE TOUR" has reached #1 in 27 different countries, including the US for over 21 weeks. To date, One Direction have sold over 15 million records globally.

One Direction fans took over NBC's the Today Show plaza on November 13 to celebrate the release of TAKE ME HOME. With over 15,000 fans in attendance, One Direction made history for bringing out the largest crowd ever for the 2 day televised outdoor concert event. Other release week activities included a BRING1D2US outdoor concert for 5,000 fans on The Ellen Degeneres Show and a performance on The XFactor US. Fans can catch One Direction featured on Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012, Dec. 12 on ABC.

One Direction returns to the US on December 3 for a sold out show at New York City's historic Madison Square Garden. In Spring 2013, One Direction will begin their sold out World Tour in the UK, which includes a massive nine shows atLondon's O2 Arena. The US leg kicks off in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on June 13, 2013. Tickets are available now on www.onedirectionmusic.com. The band will document this journey and give fans a behind the scenes look into their lives with the release of their 3D concert film on August 30, 2013, directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me).

About Columbia RecordsOne of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, Columbia Records is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.

About SycoSyco Entertainment is a leading global music, television, film and digital Production Company. Syco is a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, with offices in London and Los Angeles. Syco's television and music assets include leading global franchises The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth.

About Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Beach Street Records, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Kemosabe Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, Reunion Records, Roc Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Syco Music, Verity Gospel Music Group, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.